


Journaling Your Feelings

by treya_barton



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-05-26 06:20:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14994689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treya_barton/pseuds/treya_barton
Summary: katoriaeku on Tumblr sumbitted an ask: Value Me for Souyo.  The prompt is one character letting another know how they feel about them.  I decided to make things interesting and have Yu reveal his feelings to Yosuke by giving him his journal to read.  I will be doing a follow up chapter to allow Yosuke to give his response too ^^





	1. The Journal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KatoriAeku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatoriAeku/gifts).



Today was the day Yu was finally leaving Inaba.  The Dojimas and the Investigation team were all piled onto the platform to see him off, and Yu was slowly making his way to each person in order to exchange their goodbyes.  After all the different tear streaked hugs and promises to keep in touch, he finally stopped in front of the last person, Yosuke.  His partner had carefully kept his face clear of tears, and Yu had a feeling he had decided to see him off with a smile and would probably cry later if he knew his best friend.  But he appreciated the effort, and they quickly bumped fists before Yosuke said cheerfully, “You know I’ll be hounding you with texts every day.”

“As long as you pay attention in class,” Yu grinned.  “Remember your promise.”

“Yeah, yeah to get my grades up so we can go to school together,” Yosuke shrugged.  Yu knew that even though he was playing it casually, Yosuke was actually pretty determined and had come up with the idea himself.  He merely smiled at Yosuke, who pretended to look disgruntled for a moment before grinning back.

“Take care, partner.  Remember to let us know when you get home.  And visit as often as you can,” Yosuke said.  His eyes seemed slightly wet at that comment, but Yosuke was gamely keeping a friendly grin on his face.  “I’ll be in the city with you before you know it!”

“I know,” Yu said, before hesitating and pulling something out of his bag.  The train had just arrived and people were now boarding.  Yu pressed the item into Yosuke’s hand, causing the brunet to blink in confusion at him.  It was a journal.  “Read this for me,” Yu said, staring Yosuke in the eyes.

“Uh, sure,” Yosuke said, glancing down at it before looking back at Yu curiously.  “Mind telling me…?” he started to ask but Yu shook his head. 

He then pulled his friend into a hug, saying softly, “I’ll miss you, partner,” before pulling away, catching the definite tears in Yosuke’s eyes that matched the ones forming in his own.  He then turned and waved at the others, giving Nanako one last hug as well before climbing onto the train and getting himself situated.  Once the train began moving, he stared out the window at his friends and family, paying close attention to Yosuke who was looking down at the journal in his hands in consternation, not even looking up to wave like the others were.  Yu felt anxiety roil in his chest, wondering if he had made the right decision but knowing there was no turning back now.  He instead closed his eyes and sat back, knowing that this was going to be a long train ride.

* * *

Yosuke stared down at the journal Yu had thrust into his arms as the train pulled off, his heart pounding in his chest.  Yu hadn’t given anything to anyone else – only him.  His thoughts were interrupted as his friends also began to take notice.

“Yooosuke, what did sensei give you?” Teddie asked curiously, Yosuke noticed the others all looking at him and clutched the journal closer to his chest.

“I’m not sure yet, but I am pretty sure he meant it only for me,” Yosuke said defensively.  He noticed Yukiko and Chie exchange a glance and could tell that Rise seemed to have realized something as well.  They then left him alone and began to break up into smaller groups, making plans for the rest of the day or for the summer as they dispersed.  Soon, Yosuke was left alone at the empty platform.  His heart was still racing and he felt anxiety build in his chest.  ‘Why did partner leave this for me?’ he wondered.

He then made his way home, ignoring his mom who asked how he was feeling with Yu gone, and went straight to his room.  He closed and locked the door to avoid being interrupted by Teddie whenever he returned from hanging out with Kanji and Naoto and flopped onto his bed, resting on his arms and setting the journal on the pillow in front of him.  It was pretty plain – just gray leather with crisp white sheets – but it seemed fitting for Yu.  Definitely reliable and sturdy, getting the job done without having to be overtly flashy about it.  That would probably be more Yosuke who would pick a bright, noticeable color like orange and want a gaudy design if he were to buy a journal.  Not that he would because that would be way too much work to keep up with.

Yosuke then took a deep breath to ready himself before finally flipping it open, starting to read page one.  It was definitely Yu’s journal, and it looked like he had started it his first night in Inaba.  It detailed his trip on the train, meeting Nanako and Dojima for the first time, and his first impressions of the town.  He was certainly much nicer about Inaba than Yosuke had been initially, but that fit the young man who was able to see things more positively than Yosuke could most of the time. 

What hit Yosuke by the early entries was how indifferent they felt.  They were mainly observations without showing insight into how Yu felt, and there were no mentions of his parents or feeling homesick like Yosuke would have written when he first arrived at Inaba.  Yosuke felt a slight pain in his chest, for he had suspected that Yu’s relationship back home was kind of strained with his parents always working.  He had heard Yu talk about how he felt a connection with Nanako’s situation before her relationship with her father was repaired, and he began to understand why.

Eventually, the journal entries began to change as he started meeting his classmates and as the strange events they encountered throughout the year began to occur.  Yosuke was surprised that Yu’s initial impression of him had been positive and that he hadn’t made fun of him for crashing his bike that day.  Yu had called him cheerful and said he seemed friendly, but he had also made a note that he didn’t want to get too close to anyone since he would be leaving in a year.  Yosuke felt his chest tighten when he read that, suddenly feeling glad that he had kind of pushed his friendship on Yu when they started their investigation.  It was sad to think that there was a possibility they wouldn’t have become friends.

The entries began to change after that, filled with Yu’s questions and thoughts about the strange occurrences in town, details about odd dreams about a blue velvet room that he would have, and sometimes strategies that Yosuke remembered Yu outlining during their meetings at Junes.  It was fascinating seeing what Yu had been spot on about and where he was wrong and seeing some of the inner workings of his mind.  Yosuke found himself even more impressed by his friend, and he began to wonder if Yu shared this with him so Yosuke could understand him better and strengthen their friendship.  Unlike the others, Yu had never gained a shadow, so they hadn’t been able to see any hidden sides to their leader that he had seen of all of them.  Yu did insist he and Yosuke were equals, so maybe this was a way to even the playing field.

Yosuke continued to think that way until about halfway through the journal where a particular entry caught his attention.  Yu was talking about one of the many outings he and Yosuke had together, but he had slipped something into the journal before immediately crossing it out.  Yosuke could still make out the words, however, and felt his breath catch for a moment and a blush rise to his cheeks.  Yu had crossed out the words, “When did Yosuke start to look this cute?”  As he continued to read, more and more entries began to be filled with similar sentiment, and eventually Yu stopped trying to hide them.  There were descriptions of how attractive he found him, how scared he was that Yosuke would figure out how he felt and feel disgusted, details about how certain things like Yosuke slinging his arm across his shoulder or using his hand to help Yu up after he got knocked down in the Shadow World caused his heart to flutter or his skin to tingle.

Yosuke continued to read more and more, unable to stop even as his heart ached and his feelings stormed internally.  He felt bad for Yu, seeing how much he had struggled over someone like _him_ , and he was having a hard time figuring out how to take his friend’s feelings for him.  ‘How do I feel about Yu?’ he wondered, for they were very close and he had finally gotten over his homophobia by this point and apologized to Kanji for being such a jerk to him last summer.  Because he had those feelings for so long though, he had repressed some thoughts he had early on in their friendship, and he had conditioned himself to see everything about their relationship as just that.  Friends, even best of friends. 

Finally, he got to the last journal entry, where Yu had made the decision to share the journal with Yosuke, because he didn’t want to hide his feelings away his whole life but was too nervous to say the words in person.  He no longer thought it would ruin their friendship, after all they had gone through together and how close their bond was, and with him being gone it would give Yosuke time to consider things at his own pace.  Yosuke felt his heart warm at that line before he shut the journal, letting out a deep sigh before rolling over onto his back and clutching it to his chest.  Leave it to Yu to still be considerate of him even through his odd means of confessing.  It seemed very fitting for his partner though, and through reading all the journal entries Yosuke did gain a better sense of the inner workings of his best friend and his feelings for him.  Now, he just had to figure out his feelings for Yu in return.


	2. The Answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke finally figures out his feelings and finds a creative way to let Yu know how he feels.

A few days passed as Yu got settled back into his room at his parent’s house.  They had been happy to see him and listened attentively when he first arrived and shared some of his stories about his new friends in Inaba and how he got along with his uncle and cousin.  His mom had especially been impressed because she always viewed Inaba as too small and someplace she had been happy to leave for better opportunities, so it warmed her heart that her son had a much more positive view of where she had grown up.  Unfortunately, his parents soon became busy as they transitioned back to their Tokyo offices, and Yu found himself having to keep himself occupied on his own.  It was something he wasn’t used to anymore, and it was definitely a big adjustment. 

Especially since he felt anxious since so far Yosuke had not contacted him at all.  The rest of the Investigation Team were sending him a steady stream of texts, and several of them had shown curiosity in what he had left Yosuke, especially since the usually outspoken boy had been so secretive about it.  Yu appreciated his indiscretion, but it also made him nervous because he was fairly certain Yosuke should have read it by now.  He felt pretty secure in their friendship at this point – Yosuke had gotten past his homophobia and apologized to Kanji, so he didn’t think he would end their friendship over it.  He was actually a bit hopeful that Yosuke’s silence meant he may be considering those feelings and how he felt for Yu in return.  But the waiting was driving him mad, and without his friends around to provide distractions it was even worse.  He had almost messaged Yosuke several times himself, but he held back because he didn’t want to rush the boy and cause him any anxiety.

Then, one day, he received a package in the mail.  It was a thick envelope, and he could tell when he accepted it from the mailman that something was wrapped in bubble wrap on the inside.  His heart fluttered when he saw the return address and realized it was from Yosuke.  He quickly ran into his room, closing the door even though the house was empty, before sitting at his desk and carefully opening it with a nice letter opener his father had given him one year for doing well in school.  When he opened the envelope, he saw a note sitting on top of what appeared to be a plastic cd case wrapped in bubble wrap to keep it from cracking.  Yu pulled out the note which simply read “This is my answer.”

He immediately set down the note and leaned back in his chair, taking several deep breaths to try to calm his racing heart.  No wonder Yosuke had taken so long – apparently, he had been planning how he would respond in a way as creatively as Yu did to him.  He couldn’t blame Yosuke either because he had dumped the journal on him without any warning before essentially running away.  ‘I guess I deserved the wait,’ he cringed.

He then took one more deep breath before returning his attention back to the package.  He pulled out the cd, unwrapping it from the bubble wrap and noticing that Yosuke had carefully created a cd cover design, and when he flipped it over he realized he had even included a track list.  The cd cover was a picture the two of them had taken together shortly before Yu left; Yu actually really liked that photo and had been secretly using it as his phone background, and it warmed his heart to think that Yosuke liked it too.  They had both looked so happy together, and he realized with a pang that if anyone had paid close enough attention, they could see the adoration in his eyes as he glanced at Yosuke.  The brunet, meanwhile, had been too focused on getting a good angle on the selfie to notice at the time.  ‘He probably knows now though,’ Yu mused, before pulling out the cd that had “The Answer” written on it in sharpie and popping it into his computer.  The first song began to play as Yu began reading over the tracklist.

  1. I Belong to You / Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix - Muse
  2. Lucky – Jason Mraz & Colbie Callait
  3. Only Wanna Be With You – Hootie & the Blowfish
  4. Voices - Cheaptrick
  5. Everything – Michael Bublé
  6. Yellow - Coldplay
  7. Of all the Gin Joints in all the World – Fall Out Boy
  8. Up in Arms – Foo Fighters
  9. You and Me - Lifehouse
  10. Underneath It All – No Doubt



Yosuke had been slowly introducing Yu to music during the course of the year, but Yu was still pretty unfamiliar with band names and could only really pick out songs that he heard Yosuke play often.  Coldplay looked like a familiar band – Yu was pretty sure that was one of the groups Yosuke really liked right now and had played for him before – but he didn’t remember any of their song titles.  The first song that started playing, however, had a nice beat and Yu was enjoying it, smiling at the “You're my guiding lightning strike” line especially, when something hit him about the tracklist.  Because he had been so focused on reading each song and artist and trying to figure out if he knew any, he had missed the simple trick that Yosuke had hidden in the song titles.  He had arranged them to spell out I LOVE YOU YU. 

Yu immediately felt himself flush, and he covered his mouth with his hand in surprise.  His mind went blank out of shock for a moment, and he ended up missing the end of the first song as a result.  Thus, when the next song began to play, he started focusing right when it came to the chorus, “Lucky I’m I love with my best friend.”  Yu couldn’t help but gasp, because he realized that Yosuke hadn’t just picked songs to fill the letters, he had carefully selected them as well in order to convey a certain meaning.  Thus, Yu decided he would listen to the whole cd before making the much needed call to his partner.  The next song was sillier, but it was really calming and fun to listen to.  Yu really liked the line, “You can call me your fool, I only wanna be with you,” due to his connection with the Fool Arcana.

The next song, “Voices” was a more straightforward ballad, but as Yu listened to it he felt it tied into what Yosuke was doing – using the songs to convey his feelings.  The line “Words don't come out right/ I try to say it oh so right/ I hope you understand my meaning” especially felt fitting to him.  Both of them had used different means to express themselves than straight conversation, so Yu knew they were actually lucky that they seemed to be understanding the feelings they were trying to convey to each other.  The next song was also pretty straightforward and a fun song as well; Yu knew that Yosuke wasn’t fond of overly slow songs or ballads, so he wasn’t surprised that most of what he had heard so far seemed on the more upbeat side.

Once the Coldplay song began to play, Yu immediately recognized it as one Yosuke had played for him several times before.  He grew a new appreciation for it, realizing now as he focused on it that it really was a love song.  The next one had pretty nonsensical lyrics, but it was a fun song and Yu found he enjoyed listening to it anyway.  The following song “Up in Arms” talked about a relationship built on friendship where they had been apart but were now back together, which Yu took to refer to him leaving Inaba but their friendship still remaining strong and now technically them possibly being together as a couple.  They last two songs were back to the more straightforward love songs, even if the final one on the cd was a little more funky.  He liked that the “You and Me” song returned to the theme of them tripping up on words, while the “Underneath It All” song really showcased how they had both, especially Yu for Yosuke, seen the parts of themselves most people would hide but still accepted each other.

Once the last song finally faded away, Yu took a deep breath and gave himself a moment to process everything.  Yosuke had read his journal and then took the time to put together something truly creative to express his own feelings in reply.  Yu was so over the moon at the moment that he wanted to ensure when he called Yosuke he’d be able to talk coherently so they could finally verbalize the feelings they had chosen other ways to express.  Once he had gathered himself together, he pulled out his phone and gave Yosuke a call.

* * *

Yosuke had sent off his surprise to Yu days ago, and he had been anxiously waiting on a response ever since.  The tracking number he had been provided had finally updated to show the package was supposed to be delivered today, which had only managed to double it.  He hadn’t taken too long to realize that he returned Yu’s feelings once he had really been honest with himself, but after Yu had confessed to him through his journal, Yosuke had decided he should choose a creative way to return the confession, which had taken longer than he expected.

Pretty early on he had decided on putting together a cd since music was his passion and he had been sharing it with Yu over the course of their friendship.  Music was called the universal language for a reason, and once he had come up with the idea he had been pretty excited about it.  Not long afterward, he had decided to spell out his answer in the song titles, which had led to the most exhausting part of his plan – picking out songs to fit each letter.  He thought it would be a simple task until he tried to come up with song titles, especially ones that actually fit his relationship with Yu.  He wanted to ensure that the playlist itself meant something when Yu listened to it.  The end result had been a mix of artists he liked, songs he liked, and songs with lyrics that he felt fit their relationship in some way.  He just hoped all of that came across when Yu listened to it, and that the other boy would see his message.  He was a bit nervous about that, but he knew Yu was smart and would probably figure it out.

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone which started buzzing on the bed next to him, and he glanced over at it before feeling his heartrate increase.  It looked like he was finally going to see what Yu thought about his answer.  Yosuke picked up the phone, nervously saying, “Hey partner!” while trying his best to sound normal.  He didn’t do a very good job and his voice definitely came out a bit pitchy.

On the other line, Yu let out a small breath, almost as if he had been holding it in.  “You don’t know how good it is to hear your voice, Yosuke,” he greeted.  “It’s been too long.”

“Ah, yeah, I’m sorry about that.  I just…wanted to wait for you to get your gift first,” Yosuke explained.  He then waited anxiously to see what Yu would say.

There was a slight pause before Yu shyly replied, “I loved it.  I can tell how much thought and care you put into it.  It…means a lot to me.”

Yosuke blushed at his response.  “I’m glad you liked it.  Did…did you…?”

“Yes, I got your message.  I love you too, partner,” Yu replied.  Yosuke nearly dropped his phone, not expecting Yu to say that so suddenly or so smoothly.

“You mean it?  I mean, of course you mean it, I read your journal.  Oh, I hope you don’t mind that I’m still holding onto it.  I, ah, have been rereading some of the passages.  It kept me sane while I was waiting for you to get my package.”

Yu chuckled.  “I meant for you to keep it,” he explained.  “I’m glad that you’re getting some use out of it.  Now I will have the same with the cd you gave me.  It was really clever, hiding your message in the song titles like that.  I almost missed it because I was so focused on trying to see if I recognized any of them.”

“Did you?” Yosuke asked curiously.

“Yeah, the Coldplay song.  You’ve played that for me before,” Yu replied.

That made Yosuke smile.  Yu really did pay attention to what he showed him, even if he wasn’t as interested in music as he was.  “Thanks, Yu,” he said.  “You know, that’s one of the things I love about you.  You always listen and remember what I tell you.”

On the other line, Yu had gone quiet.  “Everything ok?” Yosuke asked after a moment.

“You used my name.  I guess, I’m just not used to it,” his friend explained.

“Yu?” Yosuke said again, and he heard him gasp slightly in reply.  Yosuke’s grin widened.  “So, you like it when I use your name, huh?  I’ll remember that.”

“Sure, partner,” Yu countered, and Yosuke immediately blushed.  “I already knew you liked it when I called you that.  I like to save it for special occasions.”

“Whatever!” Yosuke squeaked, and Yu laughed.  “So…what does this make us then?” Yosuke asked hesitantly.

“Whatever you want us to be.  I don’t want to rush you or make you feel pressured into anything,” Yu replied.  “I’m just happy you actually return my feelings.”

Yosuke was quiet for a moment, considering his words, before he replied.  “I know it’s kind of silly because we’re going to be apart for awhile anyway, but I would like us to be together.  Like.  Dating together.  Even if we can’t actually date right now.”

Yu’s heart skipped a beat.  “I’d like that too,” he said honestly, and on the other line Yosuke breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ok, good then,” he said.  “Next time you come to Inaba, I’ll treat you to your first date.  Hanamura Yosuke style.”  Yu could almost imagine Yosuke’s trademark wink on the other line, and he couldn’t help but chuckle happily.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said.  “As long as I get to take you out for the next date, “Narukami Yu,” style” he teased.

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything, Yu,” Yosuke replied, and Yu blushed again.  He was going to have to be careful around Yosuke now that he had figured that out about his name.  “My mom’s calling me down for dinner now though.  I’ll be texting you all the time now that I don’t have to wait anxiously anymore.  I won’t let you feel lonely out there!”

“Good, because I missed you,” Yu replied.  “Tell your parents and Teddie hi for me.”

“I will.  I missed you too.  It was torture not talking, I swear,” Yosuke replied.  “Love you.”

His casual way of saying goodbye caused a thrill to run through Yu, and he almost hung up without replying out of surprise.  He could never have imagined things would have gone so well.  “I know,” he said, referencing one of Yosuke’s favorite movies.  Before Yosuke could make a comment, though, he followed up with, “Love you too,” before hanging up.  Yu had a wide smile on his face as he set his phone down, before he turned back to his cd and replayed it from the beginning again.  He held Yosuke’s note in his hand as he listened, feeling like this answer was definitely worth the wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it is really hard to find song titles that fit those letters that are a) love songs b) 2009 and before and c) that I feel Yosuke would actually listen to or pick for their connection to their friendship. I took a loooong time on that lol 
> 
> I stumbled upon the Muse song - my brother listens to them but I don't really - and I enjoyed the sound and loved the lightning line and decided to go for it. 
> 
> Jason Mraz is one of my favorite singers and I've always liked the song Lucky so that was a no brainer. 
> 
> The Hootie song is actually stuck in my head right now; once I saw it on a list I was looking through to find songs I was like Yosuke does only wan to be with Yu. 
> 
> I like Cheaptrick and both Voices and Everything by Buble felt like good songs to express how you feel about someone. 
> 
> I do think that Yosuke would probably like Coldplay - my whole family does too - and Yellow is a nice little love song. 
> 
> The Fall Out Boy one I used mainly because I didn't want to go with Journey's Open Arms because I felt that was too dramatic and not something Yosuke would pick. The FOB song was popular when I was younger so I thought he may just throw in something catchy. 
> 
> I kind of also pictured Yosuke as liking Foo Fighters (rock in general) which is why I picked one of their songs, and I've honestly always loved You and Me by Lifehouse so that was a shoe in. 
> 
> It was hard finding a U song that fit but Underneath It All really is a good love song and I figured we should have more of a female presence on the list too. 
> 
> Now I really wished I could use Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen or a Linkin Park song since I know in Yosuke's room he has the Minutes to Midnight cd (I'm an LP fan) but none of their songs, especially 2009 or earlier, really fit the criteria unfortunately. 
> 
> Hopefully you all enjoyed my follow up to Yu leaving Yosuke the journal ^^


	3. Yu's Birthday Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So since the fandom has decided to celebrate 10 years of Persona 4 by also doubling it as Yu's birthday, I decided to expand this little story with one more chapter with Yosuke surprising Yu on his birthday :)

It’s a Monday night and Yu is dutifully at his desk, typing up a paper that’s not due until the end of the week so he can stay ahead of the game.  He’s already made dinner and spent an hour or so studying, and getting a head start on this paper is his last thing on the agenda for the night.  His parents will both be out late working and will both leave early, so he doubts he will even see them tonight.  Or tomorrow for that matter.  He had a feeling when he wakes up in the morning, there will be gifts for him sitting on the table and some money so he can get himself something nice for dinner, but that’s about it.  Yu has already gotten a few cards and gifts in the mail from his friends and family back in Inaba, and he has a feeling he’ll be bombarded by texts in the morning.  In fact, the only person he hadn’t gotten anything from or even heard anything from today was Yosuke…his boyfriend.

Yu blushed at the thought, for the concept was still really new to him.  He visited Inaba during Golden Week, but unfortunately they hadn’t been able to do more than shyly hold hands when their friends weren’t around because Yu had basically been bombarded for his attention the whole time.  He knew it disappointed Yosuke, but the brunet had understood and did his best not to be too upset.  Yu’s fingers stilled on his keyboard as he got lost in thought over thinking about what his friends, or more specifically Yosuke, were probably up to.  ‘Maybe he got stuck at work today,’ he mused.  ‘I’m sure he would be horrified to know I’ve basically been spending most of my free time studying when I’m in the city he loves so much.’  Yu smiled to himself at the thought, before he was surprised by a knock at the door.

He got up and curiously walked outside of his room to the front door, peering into the peephole and stilling once he realized who it was.  He immediately scrambled to unlock the door and threw it open, before throwing his arms around his partner who was standing there still dressed in his school uniform and looking a bit nervous.  Yosuke gasped in surprise before laughing and wrapping his arms around Yu as well.  “Surprised?” he asked hopefully, and Yu merely hugged him tighter. 

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked.  “It looks like you did go to school today, but you have school tomorrow too.”  Yu frowned at him before stepping back and placing his hands on his hips.  They were in their last week or so before the summer break, and Yu had already been planning to spend that in Inaba with his uncle and cousin.  So it wasn’t like Yosuke wasn’t going to be seeing him soon.

Yosuke awkwardly ran his hand through the back of his hair.  “Well, I’ve been doing much better in school, and when I brought it up to my dad that it’s your birthday he helped me come up with an excuse.  I promise it won’t hurt anything – there’s really not much scheduled in Inaba right before the break since we’ve already taken our exams.”  He looked up at Yu hopefully who sighed.  He couldn’t really argue if Yosuke’s dad had agreed to it.  “I was hoping, actually, that maybe you could skip with me tomorrow too?” Yosuke suggested.  “I mean, I understand if you’ve got important stuff to do at school.  If that’s the case I’ll just hang around here and wait for you to get home…”

Yu immediately shook his head, and a warm smile crossed his face.  “For you?  Sure,” he said.  “There’s nothing I can’t afford to miss tomorrow.  And I haven’t missed a single day yet so it won’t hurt anything too.”

“Nice!” Yosuke grinned, punching his fist in the air victoriously.  That’s when Yu realized that they were both still standing in the corridor of his family’s apartment complex, and he ushered Yosuke inside before closing the door behind him.

Yosuke whistled in appreciation upon seeing Yu’s family apartment as he kicked off his shoes.  “Wow your apartment is way bigger than the one we had in the city,” he commented.  “Your parents must really make good money.”

“Your house in Inaba is bigger,” Yu teased and Yosuke rolled his eyes. 

“And cheaper.  Like everyone can afford a house in Inaba,” he pointed out. 

Yu just kept staring at Yosuke, unable to comprehend the fact that his best friend – his _boyfriend_ – was in his house.  Yosuke was looking around curiously, one hand on his bag, and Yu suddenly felt a little apprehensive.  While Yosuke’s house was full of photos of Yosuke and Teddie with Yosuke’s parents, albums, books, and knick-knacks that his mom collected, Yu’s house was much more sterile with sleek modern furniture, one family picture on the wall that looked very formal, and one bookshelf with well organized books on business that his parents both would occasionally read on their down time.  He sucked in his breath and looked at Yosuke worriedly, who turned to meet his gaze unphased. 

“What’s your room look like?” he asked neutrally, and Yu let out a sigh.  He took Yosuke’s bag before motioning for him to follow.  His room, while neatly organized, had a lot more of what his parents would consider clutter.  Pictures Nanako had colored for him lined the walls, he had a cork board full of pictures of his friends, and on his shelf he had a few cds Yosuke had made for him with the official confession CD front and center, along with different books and items he had collected in Inaba.  Yosuke blushed upon seeing it, before looking around and grinning at his set up.  “This is much more like it,” he grinned.  “So, should I try to look for your secret stash?” he asked waggling his eyebrows.  Yu merely punched his shoulder before chuckling.

“Would you like me to heat you up something to eat?  I have leftovers from dinner earlier,” he said.

“I am starving,” Yosuke admitted.  “I kind of had to leave directly after class to make the train and didn’t have more than some snacks to eat.”  He paused for a moment before asking cautiously, “It won’t bother your parents?”

“They’re not home.  They’ll be coming home late,” Yu replied.  “Why don’t you change into something more comfortable and then meet me in the dining room?”

Yosuke nodded and as Yu left his room, he was taking off his jacket and digging into his bag for his pajamas.  Yu, meanwhile, headed into the kitchen to pull out some leftovers to heat up for Yosuke, feeling excited as he went.  He had never imagined that Yosuke would come see him in the city, at least not until after they graduated, and he couldn’t wait to head out and explore with him tomorrow.  He had thought his birthday would be lonely and kind of boring, and now he had a feeling it may be the best ever.

Yosuke soon joined him in the dining room dressed in sweats and a white undershirt and cheerfully ate Yu’s leftovers, immediately picking out that Yu had cooked it and going on about how much he missed his cooking.  Yu was incredibly pleased by that and happily listened to his friend chatter on, feeling more relaxed than he had since he moved back to the city.  Once Yosuke finished eating, he let out a big yawn and Yu immediately ushered him into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face while he quickly changed into his own pjs in his room.  He then stared at his bed before looking at his closet, pondering if he should try to pull the guest futon for Yosuke and blushing as he considered the alternative.  ‘I can always pretend I don’t have one,’ he considered, but he didn’t want to deceive the brunet either. 

His thoughts were interrupted as Yosuke entered the room and flopped down on his bed.  “We sharing tonight, partner?” he asked nervously, face as flushed as Yu’s felt, and Yu nodded slowly.

“If you want.  I also have a futon I can pull out,” he replied.

Yosuke’s fingers nervously played with Yu’s comforter.  “If it’s ok with you,” he said.  “I haven’t seen you in so long and…”

Yu nodded, immediately understanding.  Neither were ready to do anything beyond cuddle that night, since things were still pretty new for them, but he also preferred the idea of having Yosuke close to him as well.  “Let me go brush my teeth and we can head to bed.  I’m sure you’re exhausted,” Yu said.

Yosuke nodded gratefully before diving under the covers.  After quickly brushing his teeth and washing his face, Yu came in to join him, closing his door and turning off the lights before crawling into bed next to Yosuke.  They both nervously stayed about a foot apart for a few moments, until Yosuke eventually scooted over and tucked his head under Yu’s chin before loosely throwing an arm around his shoulder.  Yu immediately pulled Yosuke closer to him and wrapped his arms securely around the other boy, closing his eyes and breathing in Yosuke’s relaxing scent.  The other boy always wore a citrusy cologne that Yu liked because of how much it reminded him of his best friend; it was a pretty unique scent and Yosuke had admitted that he had to special order it because it wasn’t commonly found in Japan anymore.  Yu, meanwhile, smelled more like clean soap and his shampoo, since he only occasionally wore cologne that his parents bought him.  Yosuke also liked the smell, and he soon drifted off surrounded by Yu’s warmth and scent since it was also enveloped in his bedding and pillows.

When they wake up the next morning, Yu has several texts from his friends wishing him a happy birthday.  Teddie’s in particular alluded to Yosuke being there as his birthday present and asked cheerfully if both boys would be scoring that day.  Yosuke sputtered and immediately sent off a series of text to set the “dumb bear” straight, but Yu found it amusing and didn’t mind.  As they changed to head out that day, Yu was interrupted by a phone call from Nanako and Dojima, who wanted to sing him happy birthday before they headed out for school and work.  Yu was touched, and Yosuke watched with a small smile as the gray-haired boy happily chatted on the phone with them for several minutes. 

Once they had both changed, they headed out to the dining room where Yu had gifts sitting out from his parents along with some cash for dinner.  Yu immediately pocketed the cash before placing his gifts in his room, planning on opening them later.  He was sure they were more practical items like usual, and he didn’t want to open them in front of Yosuke who would probably be surprised at what his parents considered gifts. 

“So, I was thinking of taking you to this coffee chain that I really like for breakfast,” Yosuke said, playing with the cord on his headphones.  He had them securely around his neck, and Yu felt nostalgia sweep over him at the familiar sight.  “I mean, if that’s alright with you.”

“Of course it is,” Yu said, giving him a reassuring smile.  “So…do you have this whole day planned out I take it?” He suddenly had the thought that if he hadn’t agreed to join Yosuke today they boy would have been incredibly disappointed.

“Yeah, for the most point,” Yosuke said, smiling proudly.  He then gave a slight wink.  “So just prepare to be surprised, partner.”

Yu smiled at him and they both headed outside, making their way down to the street where Yosuke led him confidently away.  He had looked everything up and planned it once he got his dad’s ok to make the trip, so he was already sure of where to go.  He and his family had lived in a different part of the city from Yu’s parents, but he had visited the area before and had a pretty good idea of his way around.  They soon arrived at the coffee place that Yu had passed before many times but never checked out, sticking to more known places instead.  He curiously followed Yosuke inside, immediately struck by the atmosphere and how much it resonated with Yosuke.  He would definitely be making his way back here again.

Inside there was music playing, and all along the walls where shelves of cds and vinyl records.  The style inside was kind of hipster with repurposed wood for the tables, mismatched chairs, lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling without any decorative lampshades, and ceramic glassware.  The people working were all alternative and artsy with crazy hair and many of them sporting tattoos.  Yu could only imagine a younger Yosuke discovering this place and immediately finding it incredibly cool, and he had to admit that it did have an atmosphere that meshed with the other boy.  Behind the counter were all kinds of machines to brew coffee, and Yosuke explained to him as he walked up that what they were most famous for was their drip coffee which he would be getting.  They also served breakfast type food and pastries, and they even had some really nice blends of tea for those that weren’t big coffee drinkers.  Yu immediately ordered himself a cup of one of the blends along with a bagel and some homemade spread they had for it, while Yosuke got one of the drip coffees and a frittata. 

As they sat and ate their breakfast, they listened to the music and Yosuke told Yu who the artist was or what the song was about as he listened intently.  Yosuke looked very much relaxed and at home in the café, and it warmed Yu’s heart to see the other young man in his element.  The city really did agree with him, for the brunet had immediately taken on a new kind of energy the moment he walked outside.  ‘I think I’m falling for him all over again,’ Yu realized, almost becoming dazed as he watched Yosuke chatter on about the current song they were listening to.

Eventually, his thoughts were interrupted as Yosuke asked him a question.  “So, what’s it like for you in the city?” he asked curiously.

Yu shrugged his shoulders.  “I’ve never had as much fun here as you seem to have,” he admitted.  “I literally spend all my time after class studying and on my days off I try to keep in contact with you guys or I might read a book.  Even when I lived here before Inaba that’s mostly what I did,” he mused.

Yosuke’s mouth dropped open, and he immediately looked concerned.  “You gotta go out and explore sometimes, dude,” he said.  “There’s so much to see and do here!  I mean, if you can find things to do in a place like Inaba, it’s a no brainer here.”

“In Inaba, I had you guys,” Yu admitted.  “It made me want to go explore.”  He finished his bagel and carefully looked anywhere but at Yosuke, who was staring at him with a sad expression in his eyes.

“Well, once I join you in the city, we’ll have no more of that,” Yosuke grumbled.  “I guess for now the best I can do is give you a taste though.”  He then gathered up their trash – all of which could be recycled – while Yu took their cups and plates.  “You ready for the real surprise?” Yosuke asked, a lopsided grin on his face, and Yu felt his heart skip a beat.

“What kind of surprise?” he asked curiously as they took care of their table and headed out the door.

“Trust me, you’re going to love it,” Yosuke said.  He then shyly reached back and took Yu’s hand, startling the birthday boy who then slowly smiled before lacing their fingers together.  Although they were in public, there were literally no people around that would know either of them, so Yosuke was throwing caution to the wind for a change.  It admittedly excited Yu, who suddenly looked forward to more of this once he and Yosuke got into a college together.

Yosuke led him down the street again, carefully scanning his eyes for the next location since he only knew of the general area.  He finally seemed to spot it a few minutes later, for he suddenly picked up his pace and practically dragged Yu behind him in his haste.  Yu managed to keep up with the speedy brunet, and he blinked in surprise once they stopped at their location.  It was a cute looking café located in one of those buildings that housed several different shops and restaurants, and it had cute pictures of cats displayed along the windows.  “What is this?” he asked as Yosuke dragged him inside.

He immediately froze as he heard a curious meow and turned his head to see that the main room in the café was full of cats and kittens of all sizes and colors.  While he stared in complete and utter shock, Yosuke paid the entrance fee and picked out drinks for them, properly guessing that Yu was too preoccupied to look.  He placed Yu’s drink in his hand before pushing him into the other room, getting them situated at a table and going to grab Yu some toys to use to play with the cats.  When he returned to their table, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Yu already surrounded by three cats – one sitting comfortably in his lap, another pawing at his leg, and a third perched on a shelf right behind his shoulder.  The one his lap even looked kind of like him with silver-gray fur, while the one on the ground was a calico and the one behind him was a tuxedo cat.  Yu was happily giving them each a little attention in turn, and his eyes widened in excitement when Yosuke handed him one of the feather wand toys to use with the cats.

“I didn’t know a place like this existed,” Yu said in awe, immediately using the toy to play with the calico.  The cat excitedly chased it around, and Yosuke had to admit that it was pretty cute.

“They seem to have become kind of popular lately,” Yosuke admitted.  “I had heard about them on a news story so decided to look it up to see if you had any around you.  I’m glad there was.”  Yosuke sipped at his drink and watched Yu play with the cats, looking amused by how content his boyfriend looked.  He was surprised when eventually the gray furred one got tired of Yu moving about as he played with the calico and the tuxedo cats, and it eventually moved over to sit in his lap instead, content with Yosuke’s careful ear scratches once he realized it wasn’t going anywhere.  His parents had never gotten him a pet growing up, so he wasn’t as naturally attuned to them as Yu was.  But, he found it nice that this one seemed to like his attention.

Yosuke had paid time for them to sit and play with the cats for an hour, and Yu looked a bit disappointed when their time was finally up and they had to get up to go.  “Now that you know it’s here, you can always come back,” Yosuke consoled him, and he shook his head as Yu craned his neck to look at the cats one last time as they left.

“I think that alone was the best birthday gift anyone has ever given me,” Yu said honestly as they headed back to the main road.

“What, you mean I’m not the best birthday gift?  Thanks, partner,” Yosuke joked, and Yu immediately backtracked.

“Ok, you’re right.  You are the best birthday gift, partner,” he agreed.  Yosuke blushed slightly at his honesty.  “I was actually thinking last night that my birthday was going to be incredibly boring, but now that you’re here it’s going to be the best one ever.  Hands down.”

“Thanks for the pressure,” Yosuke said with a sigh.  He then checked his phone for the time.  “How do you feel about getting lunch.  Too early?” he asked.

“I can probably eat again.  I had a small breakfast,” Yu mused.  Yosuke nodded in reply.

“Good, because the place I want to take you will definitely be packed if we wait too long,” he replied. 

Yu was a bit excited – it sounded like whatever this place was would be really good, and he definitely had a thing for trying good food.  It inspired him in his own cooking.  He followed Yosuke as he made his way down the crowded street; even with it being almost noon on a work and school day, there were people everywhere.  He watched Yosuke expertly weave his way through the crowds, impressed by how at home he seemed to be, and feeling like he could understand the appeal of the city seeing it through the other boy’s eyes.  It did seem more magical with his partner here.

Yosuke soon led him down a quieter side street where a small restaurant was located.  It was a ramen place that consisted only of a counter with chairs along it, and luckily there were still seats left since they had gotten here so early.  “This is supposed to be one of the best ramen places around here,” Yosuke said.  “It’s impossible to get a seat after noon – you have to wait forever apparently.  Looks like we lucked out!”

They walked up and sat down, surprised to see that there was only one man behind the counter.  He was the owner and basically ran the shop by himself for most of the day, only bringing in extra help during the lunch rush.  Apparently, they weren’t there yet.  There were only two kinds of ramen on the menu, both pretty traditional for the area, but Yosuke had been assured that it was one of the best around and definitely worth the wait if there was the usual line.  They both ordered the pork ramen, and the cook prepared it in front of them, not taking too long since everything was fresh and cooked through quickly.  The moment both boys tasted the rich broth, they knew Yosuke had not been led wrong.  “Oh my god, this is amazing.  Sorry Aiyas,” Yosuke said, slurping down some of his noodles.

“You made a great choice,” Yu agreed, already trying to figure how he could recreate something similar at home.  There was no way he’d get a broth quite as rich, but he could at least try to copy some of the flavors and spices.  They both talk to the cook as they eat, and find he is a friendly man who is very passionate about what he does.  He talked about inheriting the shop from his father and how he grew up learning his father’s techniques in preparing really outstanding ramen, and how he was kind of sad that neither of his kids wanted to follow in his footsteps.  More than likely once he retired, his shop wouldn’t be passed on to anyone and would have to shut down.  He was still proud of his kids who were both pursuing their own dreams, but he didn’t like the idea of his restaurant not being around anymore, especially since it was all he had left of his father who had already passed away.

As they man talked, Yosuke watched Yu’s interaction with him, and he could suddenly understand why Yu had seemed so popular in Inaba.  His boyfriend just had a way with people and knew how to patiently listen and just what to say in reply.  It was a shame he wasn’t more outgoing now that he was back in the city, and Yosuke resolved to fix that once they were both together permanently. 

After they finished eating and Yosuke paid for their meal, insisting that it’s Yus’s birthday so he gets to treat him, they headed back out to the street.  “So, those were the main things I had planned,” Yosuke admitted.  “I figured we could either go to like a theme park or go shopping before dinner.  Anything in particular you want to do?”

Yu turned to look at Yosuke, eyeing him thoughtfully.  “I want to see the city the way you used to,” he admitted after a few moments.  “I know this isn’t where you lived, but maybe the kinds of places you would go?”

Yosuke blinked at him several times while worrying his lip with his teeth.  “You want to see where I’d go,” he clarified, and Yu nodded his head.  He was so fascinated by seeing the city as Yosuke saw it, and felt that he was suddenly getting insight into what his friend’s life was like before they met.  It made him feel closer to the brunet which he appreciated.  “I mean it’s your birthday, so if that’s what you want, I’m going to make it happen,” Yosuke said.  His earlier confidence had dimmed some though and he seemed kind of nervous.  He pulled out his phone and fiddled with it for a few minutes, before his eyes brightened.  “Looks like there are a few chains that I used to frequent back home here.  I can show you those,” he mused.

Yu nodded eagerly, but he also wondered at Yosuke’s sudden subdued energy.  “We don’t have to if it’ll upset you,” Yu said gently.  “I just enjoy seeing what things were like for you since I didn’t have the same experience growing up.”

Yosuke sighed and shook his head.  “It’s nothing like that.  I just…a lot of those memories have been kind of warped based on what happened after.  I honestly enjoyed it all while I lived here though.  Nothing but happy memories there.”  He gave Yu a reassuring smile, before dragging him off to their first location.  He wound up showing Yu some of the music shops he would frequent, looking happier there since it was a place he would often visit on his own as he tried to find more music to get into.  The video game stores he seemed pretty indifferent to since he often would just go in to grab something specific he was looking for.  It was when Yosuke brought Yu to the arcade that a slightly pained look crossed his face.  His memories here definitely included the friends he had before, and Yu could see several different emotions flutter through his brown eyes as he stared at the arcade.  He hesitated before reaching forward to grip the door handle, but Yu surprised him by gently pulling his hand away and taking it in his instead.

“I think you’ve shown me enough for today,” he said, pressing his lips to Yosuke’s knuckles.  Yosuke stared at him in shock, looking around nervously even though none of the passersby seemed to be paying any attention.  “Once we’re here together, you can show me everything,” he added.

“Why do you want to see everything?” Yosuke huffed, and Yu grinned at him.

“Because I want to know more about you, Yosuke,” he said simply, and Yosuke immediately flushed bright red.

“Well, I want to know more about you too, Yu,” he replied, and Yu looked pleased.  “I guess it’s probably a good time to stop.  We need to take the train to Kichijoji for dinner,” he mused.

As they made their way to the train station, hand in hand, Yu commented, “So, can we consider today our first official date?”  He sounded a bit eager as he asked, and Yosuke looked a bit apologetic.

“Yeah, I wanted to make it up for you.  I promised you the Hanamura Yosuke experience during Golden Week but it never panned out,” he admitted.

“Well, this surprise is probably better than anything you could have pulled in Inaba,” Yu admitted thoughtfully.  “I will have to come up with something extra special next year for your birthday.”  Yu also felt awful because for Yosuke’s birthday a few weeks ago he hadn’t been able to do more than send him a text and a gift since it had been right around exam time.

“If you think you can top this,” Yosuke teased, but Yu could tell he was pretty pleased.

Shortly afterward, they made it to the train station and took a 20 minute ride to Kichijoji.  The place was known for having cute cafes and restaurants and was a great spot to take a date.  Yosuke had made reservations at an Italian café there, figuring Yu would enjoy something special for his birthday.  The building was a quaint, red brick location that had ivy covering the walls and Italian music playing inside to set the atmosphere.  The food was pretty authentic, and the owners hand made the noodles so they were very fresh.  Yosuke ended up ordering the gnocchi while Yu got spaghetti and meatballs, and they had a relaxing, romantic meal that was followed up with tiramisu for dessert.  “I can officially say now, I have had the best birthday ever,” Yu said once the meal was done.  He insisted on paying for it with the birthday money his parents left out, even though Yosuke had pouted and protested that he had been saving up for the surprise for a month.

“Well, I guess I have to start planning for next year now then,” Yosuke joked.

“Seriously Yosuke.  You coming here was the best surprise I could have asked for.  You really are my birthday present,” Yu said sincerely, and Yosuke didn’t know what to say to that.

“I just missed you,” he said honestly.  “And I couldn’t stand the thought of you spending your birthday alone.”

Yu squeezed his hand thankfully, and they both wandered around Kichijoji for a bit, taking in the evening atmosphere as it slowly started to get dark outside.  They didn’t stay out too long though, since Yosuke had to leave early in the morning to return to Inaba.  His dad agreed to help him miss some school, but Yosuke couldn’t afford to miss too much.  He had his promise to go to school with Yu in the city to uphold afterall.  Once they returned to Yu’s apartment, still conspicuously void of his parents who were working late yet again, Yosuke and Yu went to his room to change back into their pajamas and cuddle up together on his bed.  Yu was immediately inspired to do something he had only dreamed of up until now, and he turned to ask Yosuke shyly, “Is it alright if I get a birthday kiss?”

Yosuke immediately blushed at the suggestion, and Yu watched as nervous excitement bloomed in his friend’s eyes.  “I mean, it is your birthday.  I just…I’ve never done this before and I’m afraid I’ll mess up,” he admitted.

“It’s alright.  I haven’t either,” Yu replied honestly, and Yosuke stared at him in shock.

“You mean to tell me you had all those girls back in Inaba all over you and you didn’t kiss a single one?” Yosuke demanded.  “Seriously partner?”

“They weren’t you,” Yu shrugged, and Yosuke’s mouth immediately shut in surprise. 

Yu suddenly felt himself grow shy after that, because just like Yosuke he didn’t even know where to begin with a kiss.  He had a vague idea that they had to turn their head a certain way to avoid bumping noses, but that was about it.  Dojima had tried to give him the talk once, but it had been awkward and Yu had interrupted him by saying it wasn’t something he planned on doing anytime soon to desperately get out of the conversation.  He suspected his uncle had started to catch on about his feelings for his best friend, but he hadn’t bothered him about it beyond the attempt at a sex talk and at least seemed accepting of it.  He just wanted his nephew to be happy.  Yu knew that Yosuke’s parents had also figured it out, which is another reason he was surprised Yosuke’s father had let him come alone.  Then again, Yosuke’s parents seemed to really trust Yu and they both thought he was a great influence on their son.

Yu realized that Yosuke had been staring at him for several moments, and blinked before refocusing his gaze on his boyfriend.  Yosuke began chuckling.  “Lost you there for a moment,” he said.  “Looks like you’re more nervous about it than I am.”

Yu looked embarrassed upon realizing that he had basically zoned out on Yosuke, but before he could apologize, the brunet leaned forward and quickly brushed his lips against Yu’s before pulling back.  Yu barely had time to register a brief tingling sensation on his lips and the feel of Yosuke’s warm breath as he pulled away, before looking up to stare at Yosuke in surprise.  “How was that?” Yosuke asked nervously, twiddling his headphones and not looking him in the eye.

Yu suddenly smiled, before pulling Yosuke’s headphones off his neck and setting them aside.  He then wrapped his arms around his shoulders where they used to rest and looked him directly in the eyes.  “That was a nice start, but I think I’m ready for more,” he admitted, before tilting his head and leaning forward to press his lips more firmly against Yosuke’s.  He took his time, slowly exploring Yosuke’s mouth and trying to find the angle that felt the most comfortable for the two of them.  He knew he reached it when Yosuke suddenly let out a quiet moan and gripped Yu’s shoulder in response.  Yu pulled away, panting slightly as their breath mixed together since he was still rather close to Yosuke’s lips.  Yosuke was also panting as he gazed back at Yu, eyes darker than usual with his desire.  Yu’s breath caught in his throat, and he immediately pulled away to give them both space to cool down.  He knew for sure they weren’t ready to move to the next step yet, and he honestly wouldn’t want to until they were in the same city anyway since it would be too difficult missing something like that on top of missing Yosuke.  And with Yosuke looking at him the way he was a few minutes ago, he knew that it would be hard to control themselves. 

“You know, your eyes almost looked silver instead of gray just now?” Yosuke contemplated after they both had time to calm down.  Yu hummed in reply and Yosuke continued.  “I think I’m lucky that I’m the only one who gets to see it.”

Yu smiled before replying, “Just like I’m the only one who gets to see how dark your eyes get when you’re making out.”  He then added, “I don’t plan on anyone else getting see it, that’s for sure.”  He definitely wanted to continue to have Yosuke to himself.

Yosuke made a slight choking noise in reply, before admitting, “Same here, partner.”  He then yawned, and Yu checked the time on the clock by his bed and winced.  Yosuke definitely needed to go to get some sleep.

“Goodnight, Yosuke.  Thank you for the perfect birthday,” Yu smiled at him, and Yosuke leaned forward to exchange one more sleepy kiss.

He then replied, “Night, Yu,” and Yu pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead as the brunet drifted off.  He watched Yosuke fall asleep for a few moments, wondering again how he managed to get the other boy to return his feelings and do such a sweet gesture for his birthday. 

‘How did I get so lucky?’ he thought, before resting his head on his pillow next to Yosuke’s and also drifting off.


	4. Golden Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I received an ask from romeo-and-antoinette on Tumblr with the quote "Don't roll your eyes at me." I decided to set it in the same universe as the journal story during Golden Week when Yu first came to visit after they both confessed to each other.

Yosuke paced back and forth on the platform where Yu’s train was set to arrive in a few minutes, dodging around Teddie who kept getting in his way and ignoring the obvious stares from Chie and Yukiko who he knew were whispering about him.  This would be Yosuke’s first time seeing Yu since they had decided to start dating after their unorthodox confessions, and he couldn’t help but feel nervous.  Would Yu look any different?  Would he suddenly change his mind upon seeing Yosuke?  Teddie had finally stopped trying to bother him and was now standing next to Kanji complaining about Yosuke’s weird mood, while Dojima and Nanako stood together, Dojima holding his daughter’s hand while she waited in anticipation.  The only people not there from the main investigation team were Naoto and Rise, since they were both still in the city and wouldn’t be able to visit for another day or so for Golden Week.  Naoto was working on a new case while Rise was getting ready to make a comeback in the idol world.

Finally, Chie seemed to grow tired of Yosuke’s nervous energy, and she let out an annoyed huff which caught his attention.  When Yosuke turned to look at her, he noticed her roll her eyes at his antics, and he snapped, “Don’t roll your eyes at me, Chie!”

“I can’t help it.  Can you be anymore obvious?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips.  Before Yosuke could retort, they finally heard the sound of the train in the distance, and he whipped his head around in anticipation, stepping forward to stand next to Dojima and Nanako.  Nanako pulled away slightly from her father, clapping her hands excitedly while he also looked ready to have his nephew back for a week.  Soon, the train pulled to a stop at the platform, and people returning to Inaba for Golden Week slowly began to make their way from the train.  Yosuke looked along the cars until he spotted Yu’s distinct hair as he made his way toward one of the doors, and his breath caught in his throat the moment Yu finally stepped out and onto the platform.  Yu’s eyes scanned the crowd until they met his, and it was like the rest of the crowd melted away.  For a long moment, neither young man saw Dojima and Nanako approach Yu, or Teddie rushing in to greet him, for they were too lost in each other’s eyes.  Yu had a wide grin grace his face the moment their eyes met, while Yosuke gazed at him eagerly, noting that Yu seemed to have matured slightly since they had last seen each other. 

Yu had just been about to step forward to greet him, when he was interrupted by Teddie who finally jumped into their line of sight and interrupted their moment.  He crushed Yu into a hug while crying out, “Sensei!” and Yu couldn’t help but smile while patting him on the head.

Teddie then stepped aside so Yu could scoop up Nanako into a hug before shaking hands with Dojima who then took his bag to carry it for him.  They began talking to each other and catching up as Kanji, Yukiko, and Chie stepped around Yosuke in order to greet their leader as well.  Yosuke found his feet were suddenly frozen as he was overwhelmed by the fact Yu was finally here again, along with the realization that with their friends unaware of the change in their relationship and all vying for Yu’s attention…it was highly unlikely he’d be able to take him on that first date this week after all.  Yosuke was finally freed from his spiraling thoughts with a light touch on his shoulder as Yu stepped away from their crowd of friends to catch his attention.  He was still carrying Nanako who looked at him curiously.  “Are you ok Yosuke-kun?” she asked worriedly, and he quickly shook his head before plastering on a smile.

“Of course Nanako-chan.  I’m just glad to see your big bro again,” he said, immediately bringing his fist up to do a fist bump with Yu.  Yu immediately returned it, although Yosuke could tell by his slightly raised eyebrow that he wasn’t fooling him.

“It’s good to see you again, Yosuke,” Yu said quietly, staring him in the eyes as he spoke, and Yosuke couldn’t help but feel a thrum of anticipation run through him at his steadfast gaze.

He cleared his through nervously, before replying, “Yeah, you too, partner.”  Yu tore his gaze away as he got pulled back into a conversation with Teddie and Kanji, while Yosuke looked away, suddenly feeling flustered.  He noticed Chie stare at him before looking curiously back at Yu and groaned under his breath before quietly following both girls who were whispering to each other again while glancing back at him.  He’d let them speculate for now – he wasn’t quite ready to bring the relationship up to the rest of the team, especially when he and Yu hadn’t officially been on an actual date yet.

After everyone walked Yu to his uncle’s car, they waved the family off before making their separate ways home, in order to allow time for him to catch up with his family.  Tomorrow Yu was supposed to hang out with the guys while the day after Rise and Naoto were going to be in town so the whole group was going to hang out together.  Yosuke also knew that Yu had other friends in town who wanted to see him, so between them and Yu’s family he realized they weren’t going to have any time to really spend alone together, which was a bit disappointing.  He knew it wasn’t fair to hog Yu all to himself though, and that he deserved to see the other people who cared about him.  ‘I guess this is what I get for waiting until he left to admit to myself how I felt about him,’ Yosuke realized, before plopping on his bed.  He and Teddie had ridden on bikes with Kanji to the train station, and Yosuke had returned home while Teddie stayed out to hang out with Kanji in the shopping district for a bit.  That gave Yosuke time to sort out his feelings and do his best to get over his selfish desire to have Yu to himself.

Sometime after dinner, just as it was turning to dusk outside, Yosuke’s wallowing was interrupted by his phone buzzing as he received a text message.  He reached over to where it was lying on the bed next to him and flipped it open, peering lazily at the message before sitting straight up and rushing to the window.  The message was from Yu and it said to “Look outside.”  He immediately spotted the gray-haired teen who smiled and waved at him, before laughing to himself as Yosuke tore away from the window and rushed downstairs instead of waving back.  The moment he barreled outside, barely managing to throw his shoes on in the process, he found himself enveloped in a pair of warm, familiar arms.  He buried his head into Yu’s shoulder before saying softly, “What are you doing here?  I thought you’d be spending time with Nanako-chan and your uncle.”

“Nanako encouraged me to come see you since you looked so sad at the train station.  My uncle said he figured I’d want to spent some time with you and said not to stay out too late,” Yu explained.  “Looks like you can’t fool her any more than you can me.”

Yosuke frowned slightly at the light admonishment from Yu, but he didn’t say anything.  After a moment, he reluctantly pulled away before asking, “What did you want to do?  Did you want to come inside and say hey to my parents or…?”

“While I will definitely come by to see them at some point, I wanted to spend time with you this evening,” Yu confessed.  Yosuke blushed slightly, before smiling at his honest reply.

“I’m just sorry I can’t give you the Hanamura Yosuke experience like I promised,” he said with a sigh.  “I was just realizing earlier that it was basically going to be impossible this trip…”

“We’ll have other chances for dates,” Yu said honestly.  “Right now…I just want to enjoy your company.  It’s been too long.”

He shyly reached his hand out like an offering, and Yosuke glanced at it for a moment before gingerly reaching forward and clasping his hand firmly.  Yu grinned and laced their fingers together before tugging him forward slightly, asking Yosuke about how his semester was going so far and what he had been missing in Inaba.  Yosuke immediately began to fill him in on all of the news he had been missing, chattering on in the easygoing manner that had first drawn Yu to him, while swinging their clasped hands slightly as they walked.  Yu felt all of his small day to day worries melt in Yosuke’s presence, and felt relaxed in a way he hadn’t been able to since moving from Inaba.  Seeing Yosuke in person and realizing that their relationship was in fact real set his mind at ease more than he expected, and although he was also a little disappointed they couldn’t have more time together this trip, he was glad for the time they did have.  It wouldn’t be too far off that they’d both have all the time in the world together once they graduated high school.  He would just have to manage until then.


	5. Summer Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu takes Yosuke on a date to the beach when he visits for summer vacation to make up for Yosuke's surprise visit to Tokyo for his birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this as day 9 for Souywrimo and am copying it from my Souyowrimo master story since it fits in the Journaling Your Feelings universe. I wanted to ensure people reading this series would be able to read continuations of the story here.

Yu’s parents didn’t quite understand why he wanted to go back to Inaba for the summer, but they also tended to treat him like an adult and respected his wishes when he asked.  Dojima had assured them that he was welcome to visit whenever he wanted to, and his mom found it touching that the cousins had bonded so well in spite of their age difference.  “You’re welcome to come home anytime you feel bored,” she had said to him, and Yu had smiled lightly before waving at his parents as he stepped on the train.  What they didn’t understand was he felt bored in the city, not in Inaba where his friends were.  And especially where his boyfriend was.

Yu was especially looking forward to seeing Yosuke, who had visited a few weeks ago to see him for his birthday.  Yosuke’s surprise had been touching, and Yu was trying his best to come up with a way he could return the favor now that he was returning to Inaba again.  Luckily, unlike with Golden Week, he would have more time and would actually be able to go on some dates with his boyfriend this time around.  But he wanted the first one to be special.  Thus, Yu had set aside his second day back specifically for Yosuke, deciding that the first day should be dedicated to seeing his uncle and cousin, and he had gotten the ok from both parties.  Some of his other friends were disappointed by that, but they all knew how close Yu and Yosuke were (although maybe not to what extent yet since they hadn’t told the others), and they didn’t put up too much of a fight over it other than a few teasing remarks that were more on the mark than they realized.

Yu suddenly remembered how last summer Yosuke had really wanted to go on a beach trip, and he smiled as he came up with a plan.  He pulled out his phone and looked up how far it was to Shichiri Beach which was the closest one he knew to Inaba.  He calculated that they could take the bus there and back for a day trip and saw there were a few restaurants along the beach they could go to for lunch.  Yu quickly sent Yosuke a message letting him know to bring his swimsuit tomorrow and telling him what time to meet at the bus stop.  He carefully fielded Yosuke’s sudden flurry of questions, simply letting him know that it was going to be a surprise before snapping his phone shut with a pleased grin.  He couldn’t wait to be the one to treat Yosuke this time around and grinned as he leaned back into his seat.

After a touching reunion with Nanako and his uncle, the rest of the Investigation Team absent since they wanted to give him time with his family, Yu spent his first day back unpacking his stuff and immediately feeling more at home than he did in his parent’s apartment.  He then headed downstairs to help Nanako prepare lunch before he, Nanako, and his uncle headed out to the Samagawa flood plains to eat at the pavilion and enjoy the summer day.  They spent some time outdoors before Dojima treated them to Aiya’s for dinner, where Yu ran into Daisuke and Kou who were happy to see him and greeted him from where they sat at the bar.  That was another nice thing about living in Inaba – he tended to run into his friends whenever he went out.  Yu couldn’t help but think of a few times where Yosuke complained about the same exact thing and smiled to himself, wondering if Yosuke had changed his mind about that or still felt the same way.  He seemed to have come around about the town and had confessed that it was finally starting to feel like home, which made Yu feel happy for him.  Even with Yosuke planning to move back to the city, his parents were still in Inaba and Yu wanted him to feel comfortable.

That evening, Yu, Nanako, and Dojima watched the game show she loved so much before turning in early for bed, Yu having to get up early and tired after his long train ride.  He somehow managed to sleep in spite of how excited he was to see Yosuke again, and woke up bright and early in order to get packed.  Just in case he brought an extra towel and he made sure to pack sunscreen and some snacks and drinks as well.  Once he was ready, he headed downstairs, accepting a cup of coffee from his uncle who was already up, and throwing together a quick breakfast of eggs and toast for him and his uncle with a plate set aside for when Nanako got up.  He then headed out the door, making his way to the bus stop where he was delighted to see Yosuke groggily waiting for him.

“I can’t believe you won’t tell me where we’re going,” Yosuke yawned, his large bag holding his towel plopped down on the ground next to him.  He had sunglasses resting on top of his head since it was still a bit dark outside and not bright enough for them yet.

Yu merely grinned before walking over, encircling his arms around his tired boyfriend as Yosuke buried his head into his shoulder.  “You’ll see soon enough,” he teased, and Yosuke grunted something unintelligible back, causing Yu to pat him on the back in response.  Yosuke pulled away after that, hearing the sound of the bus arriving and eyeing the sign listing the bus’s destination.  Upon seeing it, his eyes excitedly widened. 

“We’re going to the beach?” he asked, climbing on after Yu and looking more awake.  There were a few other people also getting on with them, and Yu paid both their fares before they found a seat.  Yu had already warned Yosuke that he was treating this time and that Yosuke had better keep his wallet to himself.

“Yeah, I remembered how much you wanted to do that last summer,” Yu replied.

“Yeah, getting shoved in a creek is just not the same,” Yosuke sighed.  He was quickly waking up now that they were together, and he was excited for their destination.  Yu shared some of his snacks and a drink with Yosuke who hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast prior to dragging himself out to the bus stop.  Once they finally arrived at the beach, Yosuke was the first one off the bus, immediately making a beeline toward the sand while Yu jogged after him with a laugh.  It warmed his heart to see Yosuke so excited, and they soon had their towels laid out with their bags and flip flops holding the towels down since there was a nice sea breeze.  They threw off their shirts, Yu barely having a chance to admire Yosuke’s tone chest before the brunet was off, running toward the water, laughing at how it was still slightly cool since it was early summer. 

Yu shook his head, especially since Yosuke hadn’t even stopped to put on any sunscreen, before carefully applying it on himself and ignoring Yosuke’s puppy dog eyes he was sending from the water.  Yosuke seemed the type of guy who tanned in the sun, but Yu was well aware his complexion leaned toward burning and he didn’t want to spend his summer vacation with a sunburn.  After waiting exactly 15 minutes to let the sunblock set, during which Yosuke had left the water, putting on his sunglasses while pouting at him for a few minutes before returning with a huff, Yu finally went out to join him, slowly making his way down the slope to where it got deeper, trying to acclimate himself to the cooler water until he gave up when Yosuke splashed him with a laugh before swimming away.  Yu glared at him and dove in, quickly catching up and dunking his boyfriend who soon dragged him down with him.  They ended up playing like that for several minutes, both of them slightly regretting getting the salty water in their hair which was sure to be dry and scratchy later, but they also thought it was worth it and reveled in being able to have fun together like they used to.

After they were doing playing, both boys lay back and floated on their backs, gently being lifted up occasionally by the small waves as they lapped along the beach.  It was nice and relaxing just getting to spend time with each other like this, listening to the sound of the sea birds flying overhead and the wind and the waves.  After about 10 minutes of it, they both made their way ashore again to sunbathe for awhile.  Yu pulled out a book to read while Yosuke played some music from his phone and drifted off for a bit.  Yu was sure to shake him awake about fifteen minutes later, making him turn over to ensure he didn’t burn in the sun.  After another fifteen minutes of peaceful rest, Yosuke’s stomach growled, and Yu chuckled as he sat up and pulled out his phone.  “Ready for lunch?” he asked, and Yosuke sighed and nodded. 

“Yeah, I am,” he admitted.

“It looks like there’s a family restaurant with good ratings not far from this part of the beach.  Want to check it out?”

Yosuke nodded eagerly, and they both packed up their stuff, throwing on their shirts and sliding on their flip flops.  Yu caught Yosuke eyeing his chest in the process, and he gave his boyfriend a satisfied smirk that caused him to flush and look away.  They then made their way to the restaurant, immediately being seated since it was still a bit early in the day, before ordering their food.  Yu got the curry rice while Yosuke got pizza, and they both ordered their soda of choice as well.  They chatted as they ate, Yu already noticing that Yosuke was taking on a slight tan, before Yu paid for their meals, and they made their way back out to the beach for round two. 

They had fun playing in the small waves, having another splashing/dunking match, and finishing it off by Yu treating them to some shaved ice at a little stand along the beach.  Yu got green tea and Yosuke got strawberry, and they had fun feeding each other bites of their treat as they sat on a bench and people watched.  After a fully relaxing afternoon, they finally packed up a final time before making their way over to the bus stop, fully exhausted, but in that way that let you know you had a good day.  On their way back to Inaba, they both ended up falling asleep on the ride back, Yu’s head on Yosuke’s shoulder as Yosuke leaned against the window.  They both felt peaceful now that they had their partner back again, and they were happy to have the whole summer to spend together. 


	6. PDA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is set during the summer where Yu is visiting Inaba right after the beach date Yu takes Yosuke on. Chie finally catches on that Yu and Yosuke are dating after discovering them in a compromising position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another story I wrote for Souyowrimo 2018 for day 17 - PDA. It falls after day 9 which was summer vacation. Just like with the previous chapter, I moved a copy here so people could read it together with the rest of the series.

Yosuke and Yu were wandering around the Samegawa Flood Plains in the early evening after spending their afternoon with their friends who were finally all in town for summer break.  Rise had hung all over Yu like usual, while Yosuke did his best to try to stomp down his jealously, knowing that if Rise was aware of their relationship, she probably wouldn’t have done it.  Honestly, part of the problem is they hadn’t revealed everything to their friends yet, which was their fault.  But, that didn’t stop him from getting clingy now to show his earlier displeasure.

Yu had looked apologetic the whole time, but they both knew that if he had tried to pull away, it would have led to some sort of an explanation.  Both boys enjoyed the relative peace of their relationship without their friend’s knowledge, for they knew that once they found out things would change.  There would be lots of teasing, especially on Yosuke’s behalf, and Yu honestly wanted to spare him from it as long as possible.  He had to admit though, Yosuke’s misplaced jealously was a bit cute, and he certainly didn’t mind the way Yosuke was pressing closely to him now, surreptitiously looking around for signs of anyone else in the area.  As far as he could tell, they were the only ones there.  “So, partner,” Yosuke began, a mischievous look in his eyes.  Yu’s reaction to that expression was always mixed, because it could equally lead to either sexy things or one of Yosuke’s terrible ideas.  He had a feeling that tonight it would be the former, however.

“Hm?” he replied, eyes watching Yosuke expectantly.

“When we were at the beach there was one thing we neglected to do,” Yosuke said, tilting his head thoughtfully while watching Yu with knowing eyes.

Yu couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.  “And what was that?” he asked, heart beating in anticipation.

“This,” Yosuke said, moving in for a kiss, pushing Yu down against the embankment as he straddled his lap.  Yu couldn’t help but chuckle against Yosuke’s lips, accepting his kiss gratefully and fully ready to become lost in the heat spreading through his body, when they were interrupted by a loud gasp. 

Yosuke jerked away, staring up at Chie in alarm who was staring at both of them in shock.  “What the hell?!” she shouted, pointing at both of them accusingly while Yosuke quickly scrambled off Yu’s lap.

Yu immediately missed Yosuke’s body heat and couldn’t help but silently curse Chie in his head.  He loved his friend dearly, but this really was a bad time.  “When were you going to tell me?” Chie demanded, looking accusingly at Yosuke with her hands on her hips.

Yu opened his mouth to speak, and Chie immediately held up her hand.  “I’m not talking to you Narukami,” she snapped.  “After all the time I put up with your whining about Yu being gone…”

“Listen, it wasn’t something I was ready to talk about, ok?” Yosuke said, staring at Chie desperately.  “You’re right, though, we should have told you guys.”

Chie let out a huff, letting her arms fall to her side.  “You know we’re all happy for you guys, right?” she asked.  “Please tell me you’ll tell everyone now.  You know I suck at keeping secrets.”

Yosuke chuckled at her reply, looking a bit drained while Yu glanced at him.  “Are you ready to tell everyone?” he asked, and Yosuke nodded.

“Yeah, we can meet up at Junes like old times I guess,” he said with a shrug.

“You’re ok talking about it there?” Chie asked curiously.

“If those people never paid attention to the weird stuff we talked about before, I doubt they will now,” Yosuke shrugged.  “Besides, I’m planning on leaving Inaba once I graduate, so what does it matter?”

Chie looked a little sad at his reply, but gamely hid it.  “Good.  I’ll be there to kick your butt in gear if you try to put it off too long,” she grinned.  She then stepped forward and shyly gave both of them a hug.

“I’m happy for you,” she said first to Yu.  “I think everyone knew you liked him,” she added, grinning deviously when Yu blushed in surprise, and Yosuke sputtered at her.

She then turned to Yosuke.  “I’m glad you’re finally being honest with yourself,” she said.  “You look happier that way.”

Yosuke blinked at her, before sheepishly putting his hand behind his head.  “Thanks, Chie,” he said, and she smiled at him.

“If you don’t tell everyone tomorrow, you owe me some steak,” she threatened, and Yosuke laughed.

“I may treat you to steak anyway,” he admitted.  “What brings you out here?  I swore I didn’t see anyone around.”

Chie blushed.  “I had been practicing my martial arts and messed up a move,” she admitted.  “I had probably slipped when you were looking around.”

Yosuke laughed at her response and she punched him on the shoulder, while Yu shook his head at their shenanigans.  They all headed back to the shopping district, Yu and Yosuke casually hand in hand while Chie and Yosuke engaged in a lively conversation.  Yu suddenly felt better about coming out to their friends and thought maybe they wouldn’t have to worry after all.


	7. Coming Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu and Yosuke finally tell the IT about their relationship and explain how they got together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this for Day 26 of Souyowrimo which had the theme Confession. Since I wrote it for the Journaling Your Feelings Universe, I am including a chapter here for those reading the series so it's easier to read together.

Yu and Yosuke sat at their usual table at the Junes food court, surrounded by their friends from the Investigation Team.  It would have been just like old times if it wasn’t for the fact Rise and Naoto were missing and had to join in on the discussion via speakerphone – Naoto on Yu’s, Rise on Chie’s.  The others were looking at them curiously while Chie tried her best to pretend she had no clue why they were there.  The others had obviously picked up on it, but were waiting on their leader and second in command to explain why they had cryptically messaged everyone to meet up without providing a reason.

Yosuke was jiggling his leg nervously, and Yu had to do everything in his power not to reach over and place a reassuring hand on his thigh. Not yet.  Finally, Yosuke let out a loud huff before looking at Yu as if to ask, “Ready partner?”

Yu nodded and Yosuke took the lead.  “Yu and I…we have something to tell you,” he said, and he could tell based on everyone’s reactions who suspected and who were still clueless.  Chie looked relieved, and Yosuke was honestly impressed she had kept their secret for them from a few days, even from Yukiko since her expression looked genuinely surprised and excited.  Teddie, for all of his usual comments about smooching, looked completely confused, while Kanji was still trying to piece everything together.  He looked on the verge of figuring it out at least.  On the phones, Yosuke had heard an audible gasp from Rise while Naoto’s phone remained silent, but Yosuke could already imagine the calculated smile on her face.  “We’re together.  As in dating,” he quickly clarified, and there was a suddenly collection of gasps and happy shouts, along with a wail from Teddie who was upset Yosuke had kept it from him.

Soon, Yosuke found himself trying to pry off the distraught blond, insisting that Yosuke was taking away sensei, while Yu got to accept the happy congratulations from Yukiko and Kanji.  Chie was chatting on the phone with Naoto, answering some of the questions the detective was asking, having deduced based on the lack of verbal response from Chie she was in on it, while Yosuke found the other phone was thrust in his ear instead.  “Yeah, Rise-chan?” he asked.

“I knew it!” she said excitedly, and Yosuke winced.  “You always seemed jealous every time Yu-sempai hung out with one of us girls.  You know, I thought I would feel sad when sempai finally got together with you, but I wanted you to know that I’m happy for you both,” she said cheerfully.  “Yu-sempai better take care of you now that he has you – if he doesn’t, let me know,” she said with a devilish tint to her voice.

“I was expecting you to say kind of the opposite,” Yosuke admitted, surprised at her words, and Rise chuckled.

“I know you’d never do anything to hurt Yu-sempai,” she said confidently.  “He’s just kind of clueless sometimes though.”  Yosuke thought back to his odd way of confessing with the journal and chuckled.  Rise was absolutely right there.  “Put me back on speaker – I want you guys to share your story!” she said excitedly.

Yosuke slid the phone back to speaker and set it on the table, Rise’s saying, “Teddie, let go of Yosuke so they can tell us how they confessed!” causing the blond to pout before sitting next to Yosuke.  Based on how close he was sitting to Yosuke, the rest of the team figured he may be more upset about Yu stealing his brother figure.

“It all started the day Yu left for Tokyo the first time,” Yosuke explained, and Yu suddenly blushed, surprising the rest of the team who was used to their calm, collected leader.  Yosuke’s eyes were shining in amusement as he glanced over at Yu.

“You must be about to refer to that journal he handed you,” Naoto commented on the other line, and several others gasped.

“I knew there was something weird about that!  Especially when you refused to show it to us,” Chie said.  “So what was it?”

“Yeah, what was it, Yosuke?” Teddie asked, looking enthralled by the story.

“Well, Naoto-chan is right,” Yosuke confirmed.  “It  _is_  a journal.  More specifically, it is Yu’s journal that he started when he moved to Inaba.”

All eyes turned to Yu, while Kanji bluntly asked, “What does this have to do with a confession?”

“Here’s the thing,” Yosuke explained.  “It  _is_  the confession.”  Everyone seemed puzzled while Yu hid his face in his hands.  Yosuke, meanwhile, went over how he had read the journal from beginning to end, and how about halfway through Yu had began including entries about him that he would cross out…before eventually giving up and outright stating how he found his best friend attractive and thought he was falling for him.

Teddie’s eyes sparkled at that part, while Yukiko, Chie, and even Rise over the phone let out sighs of admiration.  “Ok, that is certainly an odd way to confess, but it’s also very romantic,” Yukiko said.  “So, what did you do, Yosuke?”

Now it was Yosuke’s turn to blush as Yu peeked out at him between his fingers.  “It kind of…broke me a little,” he admitted.  “I honestly wasn’t sure of my own feelings yet and after taking time to think it over I then wanted to respond in a creative way myself.”

Kanji looked interested at this turn.  “What did you do sempai?” he asked excitedly, and Yosuke turned to look at Yu, cheeks flushed as he begged him to take over.

Yu took pity on Yosuke, appreciating that he kick started the conversation, and smoothly took over.  “Yosuke spent hours coming up with a personalized playlist that spelled out ‘I Love You Yu,’” he explained.  “I was halfway through listening to the cd before I noticed it. He even designed a cover for it and each song fit our relationship too.  He called the cd his answer,” Yu explained proudly, while Yosuke winced while blushing even harder.  The others listened attentively, especially when they saw how fondly Yu looked at Yosuke in return.  “Do you want to see a picture?”

Everyone was immediately interested, with Rise demanding he text it to her and Naoto, and Yu chuckled before quickly complying and showing it off.  Yosuke made a strangled sound in the back of his throat but didn’t fight it, watching as his friends showed so much enthusiasm for the gift he had made for Yu.  “Wow, Yosuke, you did a really good job,” Chie said in surprise, and he frowned at her.

“Seriously, sempai, I’m impressed.  That was really thoughtful,” Kanji added as he held Yu’s phone and looked at the picture.

“Yooosuke’s so sauve,” Teddie added, and Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“I’m not sure about that.  But, I was certainly happy Yu liked it.  He called me directly aftward.”  The others let how sweet their confession was sink in, before Yukiko tapped one finger against her chin.

“So, you guys got together shortly after Yu left,” she said thoughtfully.  “Which means it was already long distance to start.”

“Unfortunately,” Yu agreed.

“It also means…we kept you apart when you visited for Golden Week.  Sorry guys,” Chie said with a wince.  “Although if you had told us…”

“Hmmm, didn’t they go to the beach recently too?” Rise asked.

“And before that Yosuke-sempai went to visit Yu for his birthday,” Naoto added, and they all exchanged glances.

“You went on dates and didn’t tell us?” Rise demanded at the same time Teddie shouted, “You were smooching all along?!”

Yosuke sighed, covering his hand with his face while Yu shook his head in amusement.  “This right here was why we held off saying anything,” he said.

“But sempai, we’re all happy for you,” Kanji said sincerely, causing both his upperclassman to immediately blush.

“Ok, maybe your reactions weren’t that bad,” Yosuke amended.  “Thanks guys, seriously.  For being so supportive.”

“Of course,” Chie grinned.  “I’m just glad the cat’s out of the bag!”

“You knew something,” Yukiko said, turning to Chie with narrowed eyes.  “How did you find out?”

Chie opened and shut her mouth before turning to look at Yu and Yosuke apologetically.  “I think it’s better if one of those two tell you that story,” she said and Yosuke let out a dramatic whine.

Yu chuckled.  “Yosuke and I were at the Samegawa Flood Plains and Chie stumbled upon us,” he explained.  There were some confused looks before they heard Rise suck in a breath.

“Doing what?” she demanded, and both boys immediately flushed.

“Yosuke was in my lap,” was all Yu could say, voice slightly strangled, and the others stared at them in stunned silence.

“Ugh, I didn’t want to remember that,” Chie groaned, putting one hand dramatically over her forehead.

“You didn’t want to remember?  Try us!  I could have sworn no one else was around,” Yosuke shot back.  “I thought I was going to die of embarrassment.”

“You guys were in public!” Chie retorted, and suddenly everyone was uncomfortable with the current turn in the conversation.

To everyone’s relief, Naoto carefully drew it back in.  “Well, we are all truly happy for you sempai,” she said, voice warm over the phone.  “We all know you will have a long and happy relationship.  You are “partners” after all.”

“Thank you, Naoto-kun,” Yu replied.  “And thanks to the rest of you as well.  We both really appreciate it.”  The Investigation Team smiled, and they then kicked Yu and Yosuke out of their own meeting, wanting to plan something to celebrate the two of them getting together. 

Yosuke rolled his eyes, mouthing, ‘Just typical!’ to Yu who had to chuckle before reaching out with his hand.  Yosuke automatically took it, lacing their fingers together as they started their trek back to the Dojima household.  They both felt better finally sharing with their friends, and while they hadn’t been truly worried about their reactions, it was still nice that everyone was so supportive.  Both young men were slightly worried about what shenanigans their friends had in store, but knew whatever it was they would face it together.


End file.
